What you need to succeed… The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development qualification and a thorough knowledge of employment law tend to be essential requirements for this role, and you will need to be an excellent communicator. Usually, the post-holder will be responsible for managing a small team and will play a pivotal role in most, if not all, of the projects run through the HR department.
Therefore, previous supervisory experience and in-depth knowledge of a variety of HR-related topics should stand you in good stead.
What is involved… As a senior member of the team, you will be expected to provide a comprehensive HR service to the organisation’s employees and, in the absence of the HR manager, you may well be asked to act as the department’s key point of contact.
It is likely you will be responsible for administrating policies and programmes relating to training and development, compensation and benefits, recruitment and retention, performance management and compliance. You may also be asked to contribute towards the development of these policies. Some senior HR officers find that they are required to carry out research and produce reports analysing the cost-effectiveness of resourcing activities.
Prospects are… Good. This role can be the perfect stepping stone between HR officer and HR manager, so there should be plenty of opportunities for career development in the future. That said, this type of position is normally only found within larger organisations.
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